Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-23
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Rochester, n. T., Is Shaken Up by
Naptba, Which, Escaping Into the
Sewers, Catches Fire.
Several Shocks Occur-The FIa,n Is Spread
to djoining BuildiDgs-ssverai Lives
Reported Lost-Presence OF Mind.

ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Dec. 21.-At
O'Clock this afternoon terrific explosion
occurred in front of the Pool fur mill
on Mill street at the foot of Fac
tory street. The explosion was felt
for long distance. Only few seconds
after the first explosion another followed
and another and another in rapid success
sion. Immediately the flames burst from
the Pool mill and the rear walls fell in.
The FIRE burned with great fury and the
workmen FASTENED to get out. 1t ie
feared some must have persisted IN the
danes. 1t was only few minutes be-
fore the Washington mills adjoining were
in faneI and communicated to other
buildings. Onelwolkman
JUMPED FROM TIE THIRD STORY
OF the Pool mill and is badly injured.
The cause of the explosion was that the
sewers in the vicinity were filed with
naptha. To-day 40 gallons of naptha
were pumped from the Vacuum Oil
Works. 1t WAS intended for the Municipal
Gas Company. but one or more breaks in
the line allowed the nsptha to esc2pe into
adjoining sewers. When the sewers be-
came filed with naptha 1t escaped into
the mills and exploded there and else
where and the fire made it's way through
the mains In the streets throwing out
manhole covers and tearing up road
ways distance of about three
quarters of mile, and people were
running in every direction and frequent
ex blossoms terrified them the more. The
explosions continued at such frequent in
tervals for the first half hour that the
people were deferred from getting any
where near the fire. Women and chill
dren ran about crying and screaming,
thinking their brothers, husbands or other
relatives were in the mill and mad been
burned. l. is not known how many peo-
pie were at work Or how many escaped.
One man jumped from the second story
of one Of the buildings to the ground be-
low, distance of fifty feet, and was
badly Injured. The walls OF the Jefferson
building fell in about O'Clock
and 1t is feared there are
several men buried under
them. The engineer of the Clinton mills
and two others were standing near the
front of the mill when the explosion &C.
Cured. They retained sufficient
PRESENCE OF MIND
to shut CT the steam and get out OF the
mill. There were six persons at work in
the Clinton mill. four of whom escaped.
At the time of writing Q1:3o p. NJ the
dIe is under contfol. The ex-
plosions ceased about $50, and
no more danger is apprehended
from them. The msnholes over the
sewers on Mill, Plstt, State, West Main,
fremont, Smith, Gay, Furance, Factsry,
Brown and other streets were blown of
oy the explosions and great deal OF paw
ing around them torn up. Windows were
shattered in many buildings in the vicinity
and the shock was felt over large area.
The tunnel under which the burning
1aptha flowed for several hours is the
argess sewer in the city, and it Is the out
ct for sewers on the west side. How
BADLY damaged this is is not known. The
Ire must have extended several hundred
set.
The killed are, SO far as knows, FREQ
Wilson and i. A. Webster. john Lee,
n ensloye at the Peoples mills, has not
lot been found, and it is thought he Is
lead in the ruins